Violin



UNITED STATns ALFRED SPRIN GER,

To all whom it may concern:

- Be it known that I, ALFRED SPRINGER, a 'tizen of the United States, residing at Cinnnati, in the county of Hamilton and State Ohio, have invented new and useful Imrovements in Sound Boards for Musical nged Instruments, of which the following specification. My invention relates to sound-boards of "nged musical instruments, its object be- ?g to produce an instrument of more sonois and pleasing tone qualities than those imonly in use. 11 the class of instruments herein specified initial tone produced by the vibration of tring is weak, but is re-enforced by the athetic vibration in unison therewith of arge surface of other material. Such class esents no analogy to those instruments ch as flutes, reed-instruments, horns, bells, .in which the sound is produced either y the intermittent motion of an inclosed colmn of air or by the vibrations of a large ate or'surface forced into vibration by imact of a striker, which instruments do not require the intervention of a re-en forcing sound-board acting sympathetically. In instruments, however, where a sound-board is required the quality or color of the ulti- 3 mate tone produced, as also its relative amplitude, dependin large measure upon inherent characteristics of the material composing the sound-board apart from more structure. At present the universal practice is to construct such sound-boards of wood in which the range of selection is comparatively limited, as most woods are unsuited to the purpose. Attempts have been made to construct such sounding-boards of metal; but these cf- 4 forts have heretofore proved failures, and are classed by expert authorities and historians of the art as vagaries, inasmuch as the vibrationsproduced by the metals heretofore employed are always sharp and interfering, producing a disagreeable tone quality commonly known as metallic. The cause of this is defined by writers of acknowledged authority as a general characteristic of metals, consisting in their peculiar capacity for the maintenance of comparatively continuous and uniform higher upper partial tones,

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PATEN or ClNClNNA'lI, omo.

VIOLIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 451,863, dated May 5, 1891.

Application filed October 28, 1889. Serial No. 328,388. (ModelJ I which in most metals are iuharmonic secondary tones, resulting in a peculiar quality termed poverty, arising from the comparative-strength of these upper partials as related to the prime tone. Indeed, previous researches and experiments in this direction have tended to discourage all attempts to employ metals in this connection, for the reason that those metals of finest and most uniform consistency produce these higher secondary tones most freely and of greatest duration. I have, however, discovered in aluminum a latent quality which adapts it in a remarkable degree to use in the construction of soundingboards, and that it differs from all other metot comparatively continuous anduniform higher partial tones which give the tone color called metallic, and, further, that it also possesses an elasticity'capable of sympathetic vibration uniformly through a wide range of tone-pitch, which renders it in this respect superior to wood, even in the best old violins. A violin which I have constructed of this metal and in a manner hereinafter described produces a true violin-tone characteristic of the bestold instruments. The peculiartone-color produced by the violin thus constructed so far resembles that of wooden instruments that the aluminum violin can be used in the orchestra or in smaller combinations with good stringed instruments to great advantage without detection of difierence, except as a matter of degree in superior tone qualities of the same general character. Moreover, the tone produced is more powerful and of greater carrying capacity than that of a wooden instrument of the same relative size, and is free from those imperfections in certain portions of the scale which are known as wolf-tones.

My invention then consists in a soundboard fora stringed musical instrument composed wholly or in part of aluminum or its alloys, as it is obvious that such alloys might be employed for structural reasons and possess the vibrating qualities of the aluminum according to the proportion of that metal. In fact, the commercial aluminum which 1 have used in the constructions above referred to contains a certain proportion of other subals, so far as I am aware, in the absence linux it tiff stances such, for example, as iron, silicon, &c.imparting certain qualities of hardness and strength.

By way of illustration of the constructive features of myinvention I have shown in the drawings herewith in Figure 1 a perspective view of a violin of the usual form constructed of sheet-aluminum; Fig. 2, a cross-section of the instrument in the vertical plane a: :r of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a longitudinal section of the forward portion, showing a mode of fastening the neck. I

The violin A is constructed in the usual form with its top a, its bottom a, and its sides I) of sheet-aluminum cut to proper form and bent and fitted to form the body of the instrument when suitably united together. The

- neck 0, together with the finger-board d,-and

even the other extraneous parts, such as the tail-piece and bridge, may be formed of wood in the usual manner and united to the body .of the instrument by rivets or screws, as illustrated in. Fig. 2, or otherwise.

of wood and secured in any convenient man- I ner; but all these parts may be and are prefinto a condition of elastic tension, which, to-

gether with the arch form of its top and bottom, improves its vibrating quality. The sides are also formed of sheet-aluminum bent to the desired contour and accurately fitted to the top and bottom.

Brazing or soldering the joints together is, in the present state of the art, impracticable; but the ordinary processes of riveting or lapping and rolling as practiced with other sheetmetal structures may be employed. In the case illustrated I have showna continuous strip f, secured to the side pieces inside, flush with the upper and lower edges, as indicated in cross-section, Fig. 2, to which the top and bottom pieces are secured by rivets or screws passing into or through the strips f, so attached.

The soundpost h and the base-bar g may also be formed In the application of the invention to pianos proper stiffness of the soundboard may be seen red by slightly arching, and the sonorous effect may be augmented by duplicating the sound-board.

As aluminum has been alloyed to some extent with other metals producing variations of color, texture, &c., it is practicable to use such alloys in carrying out my invention, thereby obtaining its benefits in greater or less degree.

It will be readily understood that, apart from the improved tone qualities obtained from the use of this metal, it possesses certain advantages over wood in its incombustibility, impermeabilit-y, to moisture, and comparative freedom from the liability to injury such as splitting, QQVG-fllO which woodeninstruments are subject. Itis also more economical to manufacture and less liable to uncertainty in respect to the uniform quality of instruments produced. Besides its remarkable lightness, certain advantageous qualities belong specifically to aluminum in contrast with all other metals. For instance, the thickness of the sheet maybe so reduced as to obtain the utmost amplitude of tone vibration without injury to the quality of tone produced, in which respect this metal is superior for the purpose to either wood or to other metals.

I have herein purposely omitted to specify a mode of uniting the contact edges of the difierent parts of the sounding-board by the newly-discovered process of electric welding,

which presents many obvious advantages; but this is for the reason that I purpose making this the subject of a distinct and separate ap plication.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- A sound-board for a musical stringed instrument, composed wholly or in part of aluminum or its alloys, substantially as set forth. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALFRED SPRINGER. Witnesses:

L. M; HOSEA, ELLA Hosnn. 

